Frankenstorm

Frankenstorm is a word used to describe Hurricane Sandy, a so-called "superstorm" that emerged in late October 2012. The term was coined by meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and is a reference to the monster from Mary Shelley's 19th Century novel. According to Associated Press reporter Seth Borenstein, the term refers to the fact that when Sandy hits the United States it will combine elements of three storms: a tropical storm, a traditional winter storm coming from the Pacific, and a blast of cold air coming from the Arctic. ref>"AP Writer: Science behind 'Frankenstorm'". Yahoo News. Retrieved 28 October 2012.</ref> It is thus a hybrid weather system that some meteorologists are saying is unprecedented. Frankestorm is also a double entendre, in that it carries the connotation that humans have played a role in the creation of Hurricane Sandy through human-induced climate change. There are several noted connections between Hurricane Sandy and climate change. Most notably, unusually high sea-surface temperatures have kept Hurricane Sandy powered up with additional water as it nears the Eastern United States. Meteorologists and climate scientists have also pointed to the role that melting ice in the Arctic plays in pushing down the Jet Stream, which is then expected to collide with Sandy when it makes landfall in the U.S.ref>"The #Frankenstorm in Climate Context". New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2012.</ref>